Signal-rocket.



R. C. GOWDY. SIGNAL ROCKET.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.8. 1919.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

57) ki/ A9 ROBERT C. GOWDY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THEGOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

SIGNAL-ROCKET.

instaat.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ec'. 30, 1919.

Application filed January 8, 1919. Serial No. 270,235.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT CLYDE GOWDY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Signal- Rockets, (Case B,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pyrotechnic sig nals and has particularreference to signals adapted to be employed in military operations forcommunicating orders and conveying intelligence generally, such, forinstance, as the location of an `enemy battery, a call for a barrage,etc.

It is a purpose of the present invention to provide an improved smokerocket which when properly set olf in the air will emit a large volumeof colored smoke of a density necessary to insure'good visibility. Inaccordancegwith the present invention, smoke producing cartridges, whichform what is herein termed as the trailer, are incorporated in a rocketwhich, upon-being sent v `into the air, will discharge the cartridges,

preferably at the highest point of ight of the rocket, and thecartridges thereupon being set into operationcwill emit a large volumeor heavy trail f of colored smoke while falling through the air. In thepresent illustrative disclosure of my invention, I describe the smoke asbeing black, but it is to be understood that the color of the smokemayibe varied as desired. The smoke cartridges-are 'entirely reliable inoperation and this feature is of great importance in militaryoperations, where in the event that av rocket should not properlyoperate, disastrous results might follow.

Further objects of the invention are to, provide a structure which issimple in its construction and the parts of which may be quickly andreadily assembled` so that the devices may be made in large quantitiesat a relatively low cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide a smoke-producingcomposition which is characterized bythe following features oradvantages: a high degree of dispersion of coloring matter upon ignitionso that a cloud of the desired visibility is produced by a small weightof coloring material; a chemical reaction which produces smoke rapidlyand uniformly so that the trail of smoke will be visible for the desiredI length of time and will be the desired color;

comparative insensibility to shock and inability except when loose, tobe ignited directly from a spark or Hash, thus permitting thecomposition to be handled without great danger 'while making up thecomposition or loading the cartridges; and, its stability, it beinpermissible to let the composition stand 1n an air tight container for along time without deterioration.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and inpart indicated in connectiontherewith by the following analysis of thisinvention.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend theunderlying features thereof that they may embody the sameV in thenumerous modifications in structure and relations contemplated by thisinvention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as apart of this disclosure and in such drawings like characters ofreference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, ofwhich:` Y

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the rocket,the trailer being shown in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken longitudinally through theassembled cartridge.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the forward end of one of thecartridges of the trailer, and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the rear end of the forward cartridgeof the trailer;

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 10 designates the mainrocket body or casing comprising a tube formed of paper or the Vlike andreceiving the usual rocket composition 11, the rocket composi-I tionbeing maintained in place by centrally apertured disks or slugs 12and'lS, formed of clay and pressed into the forward and rear ends,respectively, of the casing 10 after the composition 11 is insertedtherein. As is usual, the body of rocket composition 11 has a recess atits rear end into which the end of a rocket fuse 14 extends. The rearend of the casing 10 is closed by a paper cap 15 which, when it isdesiredto ignite the fuse 14, is torn away. 16 desigy nates the usualstick socket carrled by the casing 10 and having a throu h apertureburning of the composition 11 when the latter has been almost completelyconsumed and at which time the rocket has almost reached the highestpoint of its trajectory. The fuse 18 ignites a bursting charge 19 at theforward end of the body 1 0, this bursting charge being adapted toignite the cartridges of the trailer hereinafter described, and to shootsaid trailer from its container lor casing. The forward end of thecasing 10 is inclosed by a paper or -cloth cap 20 which is burst openwhen the bursting charge 19 is exploded.

The trailer is mounted within a trailer casing 21, into the rear end ofwhich the forward end of the rocket casing or body 10 telescopes, and tosecure the two casings 10 and 21 in assembled position, a strip 22 ofpaper, fabric, or the like, is pasted about the joint between the twocasings. The trailer casing 21 is closed at its forward end by means ofa rocket top 23, the forward end of which is conical and this top issecured in place by means of a paper strip 24, which is crimped or bentover the' edge of the top.

In the present illustrated disclosure of my invention, the trailer isshown as comprising two cartridges, 25 and 25 secured together. by anasbestos string 26, as here- /ina'fter described. Each of the cartridgescomprises a cylindrical smoke container or case 27, the externaldiameter of which is less than the internal diameter of the trailer 'icasing 21, so as to t loosely in the latter.

Each of the smoke cases is filled to within short dlstances of itsopposite ends, say onefourth of an mch, with the smoke composition 28,and while this composition may be composed of various substancesdepending on the color of smoke desiredin case a black smoke is desired,the composition compounded as hereinafter descrlbed is preferablyemployed. For the purpose ofpreventmg any of the substances from.

which the smoke composition is compounded fr om escapingfrom the smokecase, cellulo1d partitions 29 are forced into the opposlte ends of eachcase and against the composltion, and these partitions are ce mented inposition so as to form an airtight seal. After the celluloid disks arein posltlon, the middle portion of a piece of fuse or quickmatch 30' ofthe right length 1s held in one end, (which will be the forward end), ofthe smoke case 27 while the two ends vare brought down and pasted to theside of the case 27 by means of paper strips 31. The end -of the smokecase through which the quickmatch passes is then filled with a startingcomposition 32 and a disk 33 is positioned on this end of the smoke caseand is secured in place by means of strips 34 of cambric, paper, or thelike. The ends of the quickmatches which protrude beyond the rear end ofthe smoke case are led through the space in the rear end of the case asmost clearly shown in Fig. 4, and then this end of the case is 'filledwith a starting composition 32 and closed by the disk 33 held in placeby the strips 34.

After the two cartridges are completed,

they are placed end to end and a felt wad ding or disk 35 is interposedtherebetween.l

The ends of the quickmatch of the forward cartridge 25 are of suchlength as to permit them, after they are threaded through suitablecovers 36, to be led longitudinally of the rear cartridge 25 beyond therear end thereof. T he cartridges are connected, as before stated, bymeans of theasbestos string 26, the string encircling at its opto therocket body 10, and which, in effect, v

forms the head of the rocket), and the top 23 is attached.

To obtain a black smoke, I preferably employ a mixture composed ofanthracene,

magneslum powder, and a compound called hexachlorethane, mixed in thefollowing proportions, by weight:

Hexachlorethane -26 parts. Magnesium powder 8 parts. Anthracene l8parts.

The principal action of this composition is between the magnesium andthe hexachlorethane, this reaction being of itself very violent andproducing a white smoke. The anthracene slows down the reaction and atthe same time colors the smoke black. The speed of the reaction may becontrolled by varying the anthracene content but decreasing theanthracene shortens the time of burning, and tends to lighten the colorof the smoke, whileincreasmg the proportion of anthracene increases thetime of burning but does not make the smoke appreciably blacker.

The use of anthracene in this composition to blacken the smoke isparticularly advantageous for the reason that upon ignition of thecomposition, the anthracene, which upon carbonization imparts color tothe smoke, seems to be volatilized, and not merely mechanicallydispersed. Since the anthracene probably becomes volatilized a highdegree of dispersion of the coloring material is obtion does notdeteriorate upon standing,

when contained in an air tight receptacle, and it is comparativelyinsensible to shock.

The starting powder 32 for igniting the smoke composition may becomposed of any suitable ingredients, but I have found that acomposition composed of reduced iron 10 y parts and potassium nitrate 6parts, may be employed to advantage.

When it is desired to give a signal by employing my improved rocket, thepaper cap 15 at the rear end of the rocket body is broken through, andthe fuse 14 is pulled outwardly. The rocket is then set at the correctangle and the fuse 14 lighted. Therefore, due to the burning of therocket composition 11, the rocket will shoot up into the air, and whenthe rocket has reachedthe maximum height of its trajectory andthetrailer casing 21 is still pointed upwardly,

the burning of the composition 11 adjacent the fuse 18 ignites saidfuse, thus discharging the bursting charge 19. The explosion of thebursting charge breaks open the cap 20 at the forward end of the rocketbody and ignites the ends of the quickmatches or fuses 30, and due tothe expansion of the gases generated by the explosion, the trailer isblown forwardly out of the trailer casing 21, the force of the explosionbeing sufficient to break away the rocket top 23. Aftery the trailer isdischarged from the rocket casing, the two cartrid es 2 5 and 25 willfallapart as far as the as estosstring 26 will permit. In themeantime'the burning of the quickmatohes has ignited the startingcompound 32 at thel opposite ends of each of the car-- tridges. Uponignition of the starti compound, the end caps or disks. 33 are rokenaway, and thecelluloid partitlons 29 burned,

so that the starting compound can ignite the smoke mixture 28. As thetrailer falls through the-air, black smoke will be emitted from bothends of each of 'the cylinders,v

leaving a trail of smoke which will be visible from distant points. l

What I claim is:

1. A smoke cartridge comprising a case, a body of smoke compositiontherein, a body of starting composition at each end of the case, andmeans for igniting said bodies of starting composition.

2. A smoke cartridge comprising acas'e,l a bodyof smoke compositionwithin the case, a body of starting composition at each end of the casea' destructible closure at each end of the case, and a fusei between thebodies lof stai-'ting composition at opposite endsof case.

3. A smoke cartridge comprising a case, a body of smoke producingcomposition therein, a body of starting composition, a combustible sealbetween thebodies of smoke composition and starting composition, and adestructible closure at the end of the case.

4. A smoke cartridge comprising a case, a

body of smoke producing composition there! in, a-body of startingcomposition at each end of the case, a Celluloid seal between the bodyof smoke producing composition and each body of starting composition, adestructible closure at the opposite ends of the case, and a fusebetween the bodies of the starting composition.

' 5. A smoke'producing trailer comprising a plurality of smoke producingcartridgeseach adapted when ignited to emit smoke from both of its ends,and a tie member between the cartridges.

smoke producing cartridges placed end to end, each of said cartridgesbeing adapted to emit smoke from both of its ends,a fuse for eachcartridge and leading-to a common point of ignition, and means for tyingthe several cartridges together.

7. A rocket comprising a casing, a rocket composition therein,l abursting charge adjacent one end of the rocket composition and adaptedto be ignited by the latter, a destructible partition confining saidbursting charge, and a trailer in the casing adapted to be dischargedtherefrom upon bursting of said charge and having a fuse adapted to'beignited when said charge explodes.

78. A rocket comprising a body portion composed of a main tubular rocketcasing of considerable strength and an extension or trailer casing ofrelatively small strength, a rocket Acomposition in the main casing, a

. bursting charge at the forward end ofthe main casing andf adapted tobe ignited by said rocket composition, a destructible cap on the forwardend of the main casing andy adapted to be burst open when the burstingcharge explodes, a trailer fitting loosely in said trailer casing andhaving a fuse,`a portion of which is in close proximity to said.destructible cap so as to be ignited upon ROBERT o. GownY. [1.5.]

